Bathtub mat



J. T. HOLT BATHTUB MAT April 21, 1925. 1,534,214

Filed April 9, 1924 Patented Apr. 21, 1925.

FFWE,

JOHN '1. HOLT, 0']? LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BATHTU'B MAT.

Application filed April 9,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN T. Hour, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bathtub Mats, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a mat of flexible waterproof material, such. as rubbe which is designed to be placed in a bath tub or upon a bath room floor in order to prevent persons from slipping on the smooth wet surfaces of said floor or tub, and the principal objects of my invention are to provide-a mat of the character described that is of relatively simple structure, capable of being easily and cheaply prodiced, and which is provided on its under surface at predetermined points with shallow pockets or recesses that perform the functions of vacuum cups, which latter, it will he understood,

when applied and pressed on to a relatively smooth surface will, through the Well known suction action produced by partial vacuum, cause the mat to firmly retain its position on the surface to which it is applied, consequently providing a firm and substantial surface upon which the user may stand or sit while bathing or while drying himself after the bath.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in the features of construction and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of a bath mat of my improved construction; I

Figure 2 is a side'elevational view of the mat;

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1;

Figure 5 is an enlarged cross section taken on the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is a top plan view of a form of the mat that is particularly designed for use in a sink or on a drain board.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate a practical embodiment of my invention, 10 designates the body of the mat which is in the form of an elongated sheet or section of rubber or analogous flexible waterproof material,

1924. Serial No. 705,245.

one end of said body being preferably rounded as designated by 11, in order to fit conveniently within and conform to the shape of the bottom of a bath tub. Formed on the under side of this body 10 and preferably at points immediately adjacent to the marginal edge thereof are shallow circular recesses 12, and the material forming the body of the mat around each recess is extended downwardly to form a relatively short annular lip or flange 13. When the mat is positioned on a relatively smooth surface, such as the tiled floor of a bath room or the smooth upper surface of the bottom of a bath tub, the lower edges of the lips 13 rest on said surface and a slight pressure on the material immediately above the recesses l2 partially expels the air therefrom, and consequently causes these particular portions of the mat to function as vacuum suction cups to firmly anchor the mat to the surface on which it is positioned. The upper surface of a circular portion of the body 10 adjacent to the rounded end 11 is made perfectly flat and smooth, as designated by 14, thereby providing a smooth comfortable surface upon which the bather may stand or s t while in the tub and the remaining portion of the upper surface of the mat is preferably formed with transversely disposed ribs or corrugations 15, thereby providing, in effect, a non-slipping surface upon which the user of the mat may stand. If

so desired, the entire u per surface of the mat may be made perfectly plain and smooth, or said upper surface may be entirely ribbed or corrugated. A mat thus constructed is adapted for use in the bottom of a bath tub or it may be laid on the tiled floor of a bath room adjacent to the tub, and in either event the vacuum suction cups very firmly anchor the mat in position.

In Figure 6 I have shown a mat that is substantially rectangular in form and which is provided adjacent to its edges and at its corners with vacuum suction cups. This form of mat may be advantageously used on the smooth surfaces of s nks and upon drain boards or the like. Mats of my improved construction may be easily and cheaply produced, are capable of being very firmly anchored upon a smooth finished surface, and are very effective in performing their intended functions.

Obviously the size, form and construction of the mat a herein described may be changed and modified in minor details without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A bath mat comprising a section of flexible waterproof material provided in its under face adjacent to its edges with shallow recesses, the material in the body of the l0 mat around said recesses being extended downward to form annular depending flexible lips, the upper surface of the body of the mat at one end being provided with a round smooth flat portion and the remaining portion of the upper surface of the mat body being formed with transversely disposed corrugations.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN T. HOLT. 

